The Russians showed no sign of rolling back their military gains. Receiving the presidents of the two rebel republics Thursday at the Kremlin, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made it plain that Russia would fight hard to support the republics' independence.
"I'll support any decision taken by the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Medvedev told the two leaders. "And we not only support these decisions but will guarantee them in the Caucasus and in the world."
Gates said the Russians appeared to be destroying Georgian military assets in areas of the country under their control. Georgia's U.N. ambassador, Irakli Alasania, accused Russia of violating a French-negotiated cease-fire in and around the towns of Zugdidi, Senaki, Poti and Gori.
He said the Russians were occupying a military base in Senaki and had destroyed a radar system and several vessels in the Black Sea port of Poti.
"Georgian cities remain subject to hostile and aggressive behavior," Alasania said, adding that Russia's leaders believe their action is "specifically targeted to eliminate Georgian statehood."
Whatever Russia's intention, there appeared to be little that Georgian security forces could do about it. At one point Thursday, Georgian police headed toward the strategically crucial city of Gori, intent on taking control -- only to be chased off by Russian troops.
While the Georgian security forces languished helplessly along the roadsides, Russians set up roadblocks and paralyzed one of the country's main roads.
Nor did the Russians show any sign of heeding Bush's warning to respect the "territorial integrity" of Georgia, a demand that produced a derisive response from Moscow.
"I think we can forget about talking about Georgia's territorial integrity," said Lavrov, the foreign minister, according to the Interfax news agency. "We do not want Georgia's breakup, but neither the South Ossetians nor the Abkhaz want to live in the same state with a man who sends his troops against them."
Russia's United Nations ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, denied that Russian troops were occupying Gori.
Russian soldiers "are not in Gori, have never been in Gori and do not occupy Gori," Churkin said, rejecting news reports that the town was in ruins. "Gori is there, with electricity and water."
That view was contradicted by scenes on the outskirts of the city. Refugees continued to pour out of Gori and nearby villages, telling of burned houses, looting, killings and rape at the hands of militia-style fighters who entered Georgia on the heels of Russian soldiers.
